DIPLOMACY IN CHINA.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 367, 21 May 1903, Page 7

DIPLOMACY IN CHINA.

the Russian government L\U7*MLJi waß * s *° conciliate or get any favour out of China it knows very well what to do. . The Chinese love to be.addressed in flowery and poetical language, and the Buasian humours them to their hearts' content.K A fine example of such tactics was furnished recently in the following document, which was addressed by the Bussiaa government to Wang Wen Schao, a distinguished Chinese official. The. Buasian government desired to have the question in regard to Manchuria speedily settled, and,it asked for his assistance. . J J'Quritwo "document runs, '.as. you well know, have been true friends for '{thousands of years, and their -boundaries touch each other in the same manner as the two lips of a man, or as an axle touches.the wheel of a.carriage. Our friendship for you is, therefore greater than that of any.other country. , 'I,, the representative of Russia, who write this, have only been a short time in China, yet. your- country is in my mind day and night. Whatever grieves you grieves also my people, and whatever pleases -you p'eases us alee. In other countries you will not find such.cordiality -as this,' Commenting on this a witty writer remarks that ' there is another reason why -the boundaries of these two countries resemble thei.lipsj .of a man,, 'namely, because they are constantly moving.' ■>-';■:. SECRETS^)! 1 THE SEiv : On steamer Naranici 4efl, Liverpool- for-Nepr: York. She shiprrhearTly ■news—the largest and finest of &e-e'arg£>-carrying White Star: of though she was bgly pared with 21,000;Jheji'tonrisge of '-the largest White' Star^Meamer' now. ' She was commanded by an able and experi-enced-captain, and left in perfect trim. The on the Atlantic waß not stormy for l&at time of. the year, nor was ice reported in the track of the Atlantic steamers, , yet she was never heard of. Three weeks after she left the Mersey two of her life-boats were found bottom steamer herself net a. trace. So ex» planatioh has- since been found of the cause of her toss.

.. .Nine years afterwards,, almost, to the day, the steamer Huronian left Glasgow for St. John's. Like the Naronic, she was -almost new: 'ShS" was a well-equipped steamer under the charge of an experienced captain, with a'oawfulfv^adeifcr ;car§p. and -with leyerythir^^doßoSvhiehi of^tho- 7 <Sml*coufdr suggest as necessary for safety. As in February, 1893, the Atlantic was net Stormy iajFebruaryv 1902, and'notice at"all was reported in the steamer' track, yet the Huronian was never heard of, Her owners for a long time would not believe it possible that she was lost, and.at their sent go over the track by which she went and to traverse the,seas into which: she might have drifted if disabled. But all without avail: not even a boat or a single floating article of wreck was found. The sea retained its secret, and a Board of Trade •inquiry, after examining into all the evidence as to the condition of the vessel when she started, has decided that there is no possible explanation. The mystery must remain. The' coincidence, pf the time" and 'the general Similarity -of the circumstances under which the Naroaic and the Huronian started make their story all the more weird. ';! •.

WHY THE BAILWAY STOPPED. An amusing story is told in the North China Herald' of an attempt of a French engineer to combine scientific investigations and railroad building in Corea. He went around with a tape line-and measured the coolies' heads, f Under hsaven and above earth,' said r they, | what can; he mean by taking the size of bur heads P' 'Mean?' said the others, 'he'e after medicine, don't you knowthat f Later on there was a skull found that seemed to have no owner, and the engineer'sentit home to Paris. 'There,' said the coolies,' that's for medicine, too,' and suspicion grew so prpnonnced that a fresh batch of workmen struck, saying they | would not have their heads measured. ' Then,' said the frenchman, * you shall not work under me*' They went in .a' bodj to Yi-Tongik, Lord High.Executioner. of Corea, and presented their case. ' jßy all the laws of the ancients,'"saidl'Yi," 'this man must be dismissed. Hei'-ia employed to build a railroad, and has ho authority whatever to go round preparing his devilish decoctions.' Work stopped, and there was a long tug-of-war, It, was explained that it was 'for scientific purposes that the heads were measured. • Scientific purposes, what kind 6t medicine is that P' asked Yi, 'No more money for the road while this maH is in and I hold the strings.' So the" Seoul-Euiju Bailway has stopped.